Woman dies after exposure to hydrofluoric acid in Hangzhou

(ECNS) -- A 52-year-old woman died on Sunday after being exposed to discarded hydrofluoric acid in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, local authorities confirmed.

According to an official statement issued by the Xianlin subdistrict on Monday, the woman, surnamed Tu, accidentally came into contact with discarded hydrofluoric acid while entering a vacant lot near Xianlin Middle Road on Sept 9. She was taken to the hospital but died five days later despite emergency treatment, the statement said.

Police have begun an investigation and the environment department has decontaminated the site, the statement added. The cause of the incident is under further investigation.

On Sunday night, a netizen claiming to be Tu's family posted on a Chinese social media platform that Tu had stepped on some unidentified liquid while taking a walk in her sandals around 9 a.m.

She immediately became unable to walk and was diagnosed with hydrofluoric acid poisoning after being taken to a local hospital. Starting at 3 p.m. that day, she experienced cardiac failure and respiratory arrest. After being transferred to the ICU, she succumbed to cardiopulmonary failure that same evening.

In a comment, the netizen said the place Tu took a walk is a designated demolition zone. It was designed for redevelopment but has been left unattended for about two years, and it wasn't fenced off either.

"Many people used to go there for walks and even grow vegetables in the open spaces," the netizen said. "The hydrofluoric acid container deteriorated over the years. It broke as soon as my mother stepped on it."

The netizen added that two more containers of hydrofluoric acid were found after local police's excavation in the ground.

Hydrofluoric acid is a colorless and pungent-smelling corrosive liquid. Known for its highly aggressive nature, it can corrode metals, glass, and silicon-containing materials. Due to these properties, it is typically stored sealed in plastic containers and kept in a cool place in laboratory settings.

When handling hydrofluoric acid, extreme caution is required as exposure to its vapors or liquid can cause severe burns and deep tissue damage, which may be life-threatening in serious cases. Therefore, professional protective equipment must always be worn during laboratory operations to prevent skin contact and inhalation.

(By Zhang Dongfang)